


More Than Okay

by Manny_bgm



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Feelings, Friendship, PTSD, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 20:34:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19731283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Manny_bgm/pseuds/Manny_bgm
Summary: Short Hinny moment during the summer Harry spends at the Burrow in Half-Blood Prince.





	More Than Okay

“And that’s game!” Ginny said when Ron scored a seventh goal against Hermione. “Nice try, lads.”

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny had been practicing Quidditch in the back garden of the Burrow. Harry had teamed up with Hermione against Ron and Ginny, who had proven themselves victorious today.

“Not bad, Hermione.” Harry said as they dismounted their brooms.

“Oh, come off it, Harry.” Hermione scoffed. “You know I was awful.”

Harry found it difficult not to agree with her. When it came to Quidditch, Harry, Ron and Ginny were relatively equally matched, but Hermione was, to put it plainly – dreadful. Not too surprising considering she had never played it before, and she was still not comfortable on a broomstick….

“You’re fine.” Ron said as he joined them. “But I can see that you don’t really enjoy it.”   
  
“No, I can’t say that I do.” Hermione stated matter-of-factly. “Just not my thing, I suppose.”

“Why don’t we go inside?” Ron suggested. “Mum should have some tea ready.”

“Good idea.” said Hermione.

“I’ll pass.” Ginny said. “ _Phlegm_ is still in the kitchen; I’d rather not slip in it.”

Harry and Hermione snorted, although Ron did not.   
  
“You just can’t lay off her, can you?” he said angrily.  
  
“I _will_ if she does.” Ginny retorted.

Ron, seeming too tired to argue, simply rolled his eyes at this. “Let’s just go inside, Ron.” Hermione told him. “You coming, Harry?”  
  
Harry, who did not dislike Fleur quite as much as Ginny did, felt inclined to say ‘yes’. However, for some reason, he found himself saying ‘no’.

“I’d rather stay here for a bit longer, too.” He added when he saw Hermione's reaction.

“Okay, we’ll see you later then.” said Hermione, albeit with a slight air of suspicion in her voice. However, she did not ask further questions, and she and Ron went inside the house.

“Good call, Harry.” Ginny said. “ _Phlegm_ tends to be rather slippery at this time of day, you’re better off over here for now.”

“Yeah…” Harry said dully.

“I dunno why she has to stay here all summer anyways…" Ginny began. "I’d rather Tonks visit again, at least she’s fun.”

“Yeah, but I get why she’s not around much lately, considering S-…” He could not say Sirius’ name.  
“… she’s not feeling well.” Harry said instead.

“I reckon you’re right.” Ginny said, stepping closer to him, and Harry could tell that she knew what he was talking about. “What about you? Are you feeling okay?”

This question overwhelmed him. He had only been at the Burrow for a few days, and so far, the day to day activities had been a decent enough distraction from his own thoughts. Occasionally, someone from the Order would visit and bring news, which was rarely good, but it was another distraction at the very least. No one had really asked him how _he_ was feeling until now, and Harry did not have an answer ready.

“I’m fine.” He said dismissively.

Ginny gave him a weak smile, but he thought he saw a flicker of disappointment in her eyes. Harry thought about what Dumbledore had told him in the broom shed the night he arrived at the Burrow. _You need your friends, Harry. Sirius would not have wanted you to shut yourself out._ He did not want himself to feel vulnerable, but he figured he should try to be a bit more open to those who care about him.

“I mean…” he went on, “It’s been fun here. I’m feeling – okay, I suppose, especially when spending time with you lot.”  
He started to feel more stupid with every word he uttered. Clearly, talking about his feelings was not his strong suit.

Ginny nodded and gave a more affirmative smile. “I’m happy to hear that.”

“It’s like – it’s takes my mind off things, y’know? At the Dursleys’, I was shut up in my room the whole time, thinking about – well, everything, really. I barely ate or slept… and I realized what was happening – it’s exactly what you were trying to warn me about. I’m really not good at talking about these things, but I also can’t shut myself out completely.”

“No, you really shouldn’t do that.” 

Harry thought back of a previous conversation he’d had with Ginny, when she told him about the possibility of being possessed by Voldemort. And then, he confided into her something that he had not shared with anyone.  
“Back in the Department of Mysteries… there was a moment… when I thought I was possessed.”  
  
At the last word, Ginny’s eyes bulged in shock. “D’you reckon…?”

“Yeah… Voldemort seemed to enter my mind, sort of, and I was in excruciating pain… it only lasted a moment, but it was the most pain I had ever felt. It seemed to last an eternity. And I wondered, if you - given that …”

And then, without warning, without Harry being able to utter another word, Ginny stepped forward and threw her arms around him. It gave him a very warm feeling that he hadn’t really experienced before; somehow, this felt different from hugging Ron or Hermione.

“I’m so sorry.” She said in a low voice. She slowly released her hold on him, and then continued. “Please don’t think on it, Harry. Don't think on it for one minute, alright? You’re safe now. You’re gonna be okay.”

“Thanks.” Harry said, not really knowing how to respond. But then, he was reminded of something. “I bet you’d know… I mean, you’ve experienced this before, haven’t you... being possessed?”

“Yeah but... not like that, I don’t think – With me it was more of a slow burn.”  
  
“How d’you mean?”

“Tom Riddle – I mean V-Voldemort… gradually took over my mind as I wrote in that Diary. He possessed me a few times, but he was mostly manipulating me and making me doubt my sense of self… until it all crashed and I – kinda fell to pieces…”

There was a long silence, the only sound coming from the wind howling in the tall grass. Harry saw that Ginny was looking at the earth below her feet, her face hidden behind her long mane of red hair. She sighed heavily, then turned to look at Harry again.  
  
“I’m sorry." Harry said as he looked at her. "I had no idea it was that bad..."  
  
"It's okay." Ginny said assuringly. "I'm doing better now, I promise. I hope that you’ll feel better too, Harry.” she said. “It took me quite some time to recover after – after it was over. I didn’t want to talk to anyone at first… I was trying to shut myself away. Not one of my better ideas, in hindsight.” Ginny said, half laughing.

“Yeah, I reckon not.” said Harry awkwardly, thinking back of how he had constantly separated himself from his friends over the past year. “I’m gonna try not to do that anymore….”

“Right. I know it’s hard, but we’re here for you, mate." she said as she patted his shoulder. "Me, Ron and Hermione, we’ll always be there for you Harry. Don’t forget that.”

“I – thank you.” he said weakly.

“You good?” she asked.

“I’m good.” Harry said, and he meant it. He could not explain why, but speaking about his thoughts to someone had made him feel better. For the first time in what seemed like a long time, it seemed like he was finally feeling more than okay.


End file.
